在過去26年間（1980-2005年），臺灣地區25-54歲女性的總勞動參與率與就業比率皆呈現或高或低的成長趨勢，1980-1996年是快速成長期，1996-2000年有些微停滯，然2000年後又開始呈小幅成長。本文發現人口結構變化是造成總勞動參與率變動的重要原因之一，而女性的技能分配、對這些技能所支付的價格的改變、以及其勞動供給行爲之改變，則是各特徵別勞動參與率變動的重要原因。在1996年以前，女性勞動參與率的快速成長來自於勞動參與機率、技能分配以及市場上對這些技能所支付的價格的增加。1996年以後，各組別的技能支付價格大幅趨緩，而勞動參與機率在低工資組別下降，在中高工資組別上升之現象，解釋了大部份組別勞動參與比率的小幅增減。對已婚婦女來說，有6歲以下小孩以及家人所得最低之女性單薪家庭的已婚婦女，爲1996年以後淨就業比率增加的重要族群。丈夫非就業的期間愈長，女性調整是否參與就業的行爲反應愈大。不論家人所得水準爲何，未婚女性就業比率自2000年皆呈惡化現象，離婚喪偶女性中，家人所得最低者的就業比率以及最高者的就業比率，自2000年起皆增加。

Over the past two decades (1980-2005), the dynamic changes in the prime-age female labor force participation rates and employment rates in Taiwan showed an interesting trend. They experienced high growth in 1980-1996, stag-nation during 1996-2000, and slow growth after 2000. This study found changes in the demographic structure in Taiwan to be an important factor behind such trends. Differences across demographic groups, however, were explained by changes in skill distributions, in the prices paid for the skill, and in women's labor supply behaviors. The stagger in skill prices overall, and the declines in market opportunities for the low-wage group were found to be responsible for the stagnation and low growth after 1996. Females with children aged 6 or below and with lowest family incomes were the major sources of the growth in employment rates after 1996. The employment rates of unmarried women have deteriorated since 2000.